Strappy Plants
Presenter: Neville Passmore
Episode: 23 (6th October 2007)
Neville is coming to the end of planting out his front garden and a pattern has emerged in the plant choices. The front yard a snappies, strappies and toughies; in other words grass like foliage plants with contrasting colours and textures. Apart from their good looks, these plants are ideal to add into a water wise garden. The reason is they can get by on what Neville likes to call ‘Mother Nature’s Irrigation System’ in other words the rain that falls from the heavens. The one proviso is that they have established a good solid root system; this may take six to twelve months.
Another common factor with all of the strappy plants in Neville’s garden is that they are both from either Australia or New Zealand, which makes them very well suited to their environment.
Beside the house Neville has kept the theme going by planting out a brilliant new form of the New Zealand Cabbage palm or Cordyline called “Red Fountain’. It is fundamentally different to the Cordylines you may be familiar with, as it has brilliant burgundy foliage and it has a low branching habit. The plants won’t get any taller than about a metre and because of its side shoots it forms a clump eventually. The effect in the garden is like a multi headed fountain, with lovely weeping foliage which is just gorgeous.
One of the real secrets of success when you are planting things out is to be up the soil. In gutless sandy soil it is important to add as much organic goodness as you can. It is then quite simply a matter of tapping your plant out of its pot and dropping it into position.
Another terrific trick to getting your plants off to a great start is to give it a shot of Seasol, which is based on kelp and is a real root stimulate. Lots of gardeners see Seasol as a fertiliser but it is actually a plant tonic, like a giant vitamin pill. Seasol helps build strength into the cell wall of plants which gives it more drought tolerance.
Featured Plants:
Red Fountain Cordyline (Cordyline, Hybrid Cultivar, ‘Red Fountain’)
Featured Products:
Seasol
Seasol is a 100% Australian liquid seaweed extract made from a unique species of kelp, Durvillea Potatorum, which grows only in the unpolluted waters around Southern Australia. This particular type of bull kelp grows in the sea beds, and can reach over 18 metres in height, with a single plant weighing more than 150kgs. The massive seas of the Great Southern Ocean wash mountains of bull kelp up onto the beaches of King Island and the West Coast of Tasmania, and it is from these beaches that the kelp is harvested. No marine forests are touched, therefore making it a sustainable source. Seasol's specialised soil conditioners address the world wide problems of soil degradation.
Seasol is a dynamic growth stimulant and plant tonic, it is not by definition a fertiliser. Scientific trials over many years have proven its value as a means of promoting healthy vigorous growth in plants, improving resistance to insect and fungal attack, and reducing the symptoms of stress from excessive heat, frost damage and transplanting.
Episode: 23 (6th October 2007)
Neville is coming to the end of planting out his front garden and a pattern has emerged in the plant choices. The front yard a snappies, strappies and toughies; in other words grass like foliage plants with contrasting colours and textures. Apart from their good looks, these plants are ideal to add into a water wise garden. The reason is they can get by on what Neville likes to call ‘Mother Nature’s Irrigation System’ in other words the rain that falls from the heavens. The one proviso is that they have established a good solid root system; this may take six to twelve months.
Another common factor with all of the strappy plants in Neville’s garden is that they are both from either Australia or New Zealand, which makes them very well suited to their environment.
Beside the house Neville has kept the theme going by planting out a brilliant new form of the New Zealand Cabbage palm or Cordyline called “Red Fountain’. It is fundamentally different to the Cordylines you may be familiar with, as it has brilliant burgundy foliage and it has a low branching habit. The plants won’t get any taller than about a metre and because of its side shoots it forms a clump eventually. The effect in the garden is like a multi headed fountain, with lovely weeping foliage which is just gorgeous.
One of the real secrets of success when you are planting things out is to be up the soil. In gutless sandy soil it is important to add as much organic goodness as you can. It is then quite simply a matter of tapping your plant out of its pot and dropping it into position.
Another terrific trick to getting your plants off to a great start is to give it a shot of Seasol, which is based on kelp and is a real root stimulate. Lots of gardeners see Seasol as a fertiliser but it is actually a plant tonic, like a giant vitamin pill. Seasol helps build strength into the cell wall of plants which gives it more drought tolerance.
Featured Plants:
Red Fountain Cordyline (Cordyline, Hybrid Cultivar, ‘Red Fountain’)
Featured Products:
Seasol
Seasol is a 100% Australian liquid seaweed extract made from a unique species of kelp, Durvillea Potatorum, which grows only in the unpolluted waters around Southern Australia. This particular type of bull kelp grows in the sea beds, and can reach over 18 metres in height, with a single plant weighing more than 150kgs. The massive seas of the Great Southern Ocean wash mountains of bull kelp up onto the beaches of King Island and the West Coast of Tasmania, and it is from these beaches that the kelp is harvested. No marine forests are touched, therefore making it a sustainable source. Seasol's specialised soil conditioners address the world wide problems of soil degradation.
Seasol is a dynamic growth stimulant and plant tonic, it is not by definition a fertiliser. Scientific trials over many years have proven its value as a means of promoting healthy vigorous growth in plants, improving resistance to insect and fungal attack, and reducing the symptoms of stress from excessive heat, frost damage and transplanting.
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